Navigation using routine driving information and destination areas

Abstract

A method according to an embodiment of the invention is provided for identifying at least one routing option for use in routing a user from a current location to at least one destination comprising. The method includes the operations of: receiving electronic data identifying at least one destination; receiving electronic data indicating a current location; accessing, from the at least one memory device, historical information associated with at least one route segment, wherein the at least one route segment is interposed between the current location and the at least one destination; receiving, from at least one navigation service provider, a current condition for each of the at least one route segment; identifying, based on the current location, the historical information associated with at least one route segment, and the current condition for each of the at least one route segment, at least one routing option for use in routing a user from the current location to the at least one destination; and outputting at least one navigation direction, wherein the at least one navigation direction include an identification of the at least one routing option.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for routing a user from a first location to a point-of-interest via one or more route segments, comprising:
 a processor; 
 a memory module communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store a point-of-interest (POI), user historical trip data, at least one user routing preference, and processor executable instructions; 
 an interface module; and 
 a wireless communications module communicatively coupled to a navigation service provider; 
 wherein the processor executable instructions include instructions for:
 accessing the POI from the memory module; 
 identifying, using the wireless communications module, a destination area in which the POI is located;
 wherein the destination area includes a first route segment connected by a first node to a second route segment; 
 
 determining, in view of the user historical trip data, whether at least one of the first route segment and the second route segment is a routine route segment;
 wherein each of the first route segment and the second route segment provides at least a portion of a route between a first location and the POI; 
 
 designating, in view of the at least one user routing preference, at least one of the first route segment and the second route segment as a preferred route segment; 
 determining a first route, via the first node, from the first location to the POI using at least one designated preferred route segment; and 
 outputting to the interface module at least one navigation instruction navigating the user to the POI via the node using the first route. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the destination area is a routine destination area. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the designation of the destination area as a routine destination area varies based on at least one of a time of day and day. 
 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one navigation instruction is humanly perceptible. 
 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor executable instructions include instructions for:
 receiving an indication of at least one website, wherein the at least one website identifies information relating to the POI; 
 establishing a communications link with the at least one website; 
 accessing, via the at least one website, information relating to the POI; and 
 outputting, via at least one display device communicatively coupled to the interface module, at least a portion of the information relating to the POI. 
 
 
     
     
       6. A device for routing a user from a first location to a point-of-interest via one or more route segments, comprising:
 a processor; 
 a memory module communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store a point-of-interest (POI), user historical trip data, at least one user routing preference, and processor executable instructions; 
 an interface module; and 
 a wireless communications module communicatively coupled to a navigation service provider; 
 wherein the processor executable instructions include instructions for:
 accessing the POI from the memory module; 
 identifying, using the wireless communications module, a destination area in which the POI is located:
 wherein the destination area includes a first route segment connected by a first node to a second route segment; 
 
 determining, in view of the user historical trip data, whether at least one of the first route segment and the second route segment is a routine route segment, and each of the first route segment and the second route segment provides at least a portion of a route between a first location and the POI; 
 
 designating, in view of the at least one user routing preference, at least one of the first route segment and the second mute segment as a preferred route segment;
 determining a first route, via the first node, from the first location to the POI using at least one designated preferred route segment; and 
 
 outputting to the interface module at least one navigation instruction navigating the user to the POI via the node using the first route; 
 wherein the POI is located within two destination areas and the processor executable instructions include instructions for selecting a second route between the first location and the POI based on whether either of the two destination areas is a preferred destination area. 
 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 6 ,
 wherein a preferred destination area is a destination area into which the user routinely travels for purposes of at least work. 
 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the second route is the same as the first route. 
 
     
     
       9. A device for routing a user from a first location to a point-of-interest via one or more route segments, comprising:
 a processor; 
 a memory module communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store a point-of-interest (POI), user historical trip data, at least one user routing preference, and processor executable instructions; 
 an interface module; and 
 a wireless communications module communicatively coupled to a navigation service provider; 
 wherein the processor executable instructions include instructions for:
 accessing the POI from the memory module; 
 identifying, using the wireless communications module, a destination area in which the POI is located:
 wherein the destination area includes a first route segment connected by a first node to a second route segment; 
 
 determining, in view of the user historical trip data, whether at least one of the first route segment and the second route segment is a routine route segment, and each of the first route segment and the second route segment provides at least a portion of a route between a first location and the POI; 
 designating, in view of the at least one user routing preference, at least one of the first route segment and the second route segment as a preferred route segment; 
 determining a first route, via the first node, from the first location to the POI using at least one designated preferred route segment; and 
 
 outputting to the interface module at least one navigation instruction navigating the user to the POI via the node using the first route; 
 wherein the destination area is a dynamic destination area that defines a geographic area including at least one of the first node and one or more second nodes, 
 wherein the nodes located within the dynamic destination area are statistically determined based on the user historical trip data. 
 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the nodes located within the dynamic destination area vary over at least one of time of day and day. 
 
     
     
       11. A system for using routine driving information to route a user from a first location to a second location, comprising:
 a processor; 
 at least one memory module communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store processor executable instructions and at least one user routing preference; 
 at least one radio for receiving navigation data from a navigation service provider; 
 wherein the processor executes at least one instruction to:
 store statistical information associated with a user routinely traveling between a first location and a second location using at least one route segment; 
 designate, based on the statistical information, at least one of the route segments as a routine route segment; 
 access the navigation data; and 
 select, based on the navigation data and the at least one user routing preference, a first route between the first location and the second location using at least one of the designated routine route segments. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 ,
 wherein the statistical information is based on historical information associated with at least one of the route segments on the first route. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the navigation data includes a current condition for at least one of the route segments on the first route and the selection of the first route is based on at least the current condition. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , comprising:
 an interface module; 
 wherein the processor executes at least one instruction instructing the interface module to output at least one navigation direction; and
 wherein the navigation direction directs the user from the first location to a second location along the first route. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the navigation direction is output in a humanly perceptible form. 
 
     
     
       16. A system for using routine driving information to route a user from a first location to a second location, comprising:
 a processor; 
 at least one memory module communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store processor executable instructions and at least one user routing preference; 
 at least one radio for receiving navigation data from a navigation service provider; 
 wherein the processor executes at least one instruction to:
 store statistical information associated with a user routinely traveling between a first location and a second location using at least one route segment; 
 designate, based on the statistical information, at least one of the route segments as a routine route segment; 
 access the navigation data; and 
 
 select, based on the navigation data and the at least one user routing preference, a first route between the first location and the second location using at least one of the designated routine route segments; 
 wherein the statistical information is based on historical information associated with at least one of the route segments on the first route; 
 wherein each of the plurality of route segments connects to at least one node located within one or more destination areas; 
 wherein the processor executes at least one processor executable instruction to:
 determine whether each of the one or more destination areas is a routine destination area; and 
 select the first route between the first location and the second location using at least one routine route segment that connects to at least one node located within a routine destination area. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 ,
 wherein user historical trip data is utilized to determine whether the one or more destination areas are routine destination areas. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the nodes located within the one or more destination areas dynamically changes based on at least one of time of day and day. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 ,
 wherein at the least one user routing preference identifies whether at least one of the one or more destination areas is a preferred destination area. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 ,
 wherein at least one of the one or more destination areas are rated according to one or more specified criteria. 
 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 20 ,
 wherein the identification of the preferred destination areas varies based on at least one of time of day and day. 
 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 21 ,
 wherein the navigation data includes a current condition for at least one of the route segments and the selection of the first route is based on at least the current condition.